Workers Compensation Terms and Definitions

Subpoena A document that requires a witness to appear at a hearing. There must be an Application for Adjudication on file for a subpoena to be valid. Vocational Rehabilitation This benefit assists qualified injured workers in returning to work. Claims Administrator This is the term for insurance companies and others who handle your workers' compensation claim. Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) The judicial unit that formally resolves workers' compensation disputes. Commutation An order by a Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge for a lump sum payment of part or all of your permanent disability award. Payment can be made to either the injured worker or the injured worker's attorney. Stipulation with Request for Award (Stip): A settlement where the parties agree on the terms of an award. It may include any future medical treatment. Payment takes place over time. Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge Judges at DWC district offices that conduct hearings, take evidence, issue decisions, and approve settlements. Transportation Expenses A benefit to cover your out-of-pocket expenses for mileage, parking, and toll fees related to a claim, usually a reimbursement. Summary Rating Reconsideration An administrative procedure to object to the Summary Permanent Disability Rating issued by the DWC Disability Evaluation Unit. The request must be made within 30 days of receipt of the summary rating. Compromise and Release (C&R) Generally, a final settlement of your workers' compensation case where the parties agree on a single lump sum payment. It usually settles all outstanding issues except for future vocational rehabilitation.

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	Did You Know?
	OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers" and draft guidelines for night retail establishments. The intent of the guidelines is to educate employers on finding ways to provide a more secure work environment. Consequently, OSHA hopes that employers will voluntarily implement workplace violence protection programs. Workplace violence has emerged as an important safety issue in today's workplaces. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fatality data, assaults and violent acts caused 20 percent of the fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 1994.